Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba begin recovery after Hurricane Melissa’s devastation

People across the northern Caribbean struggled to recover from the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa as the death toll from the catastrophic storm continued to riseIn southeast Jamaica the rumble of heavy machinery the buzz of chainsaws and the chopping of machetes filled the air as government workers and residents joined hands to clear blocked roads and reach out to cutoff communities that had taken a direct hit from one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recordedStunned residents wandered about gazing helplessly at their roofless homes and waterlogged belongings scattered across the streetsldquoI donrsquot have a house nowrdquo said sanitation worker distraught Sylvester Guthrie who is from Lacovia in the southern parish of St ElizabethHis only possession of value left is a bicycleldquoI have land in another location that I can build back but I am going to need helprdquo he pleadedEmergency relief flights began arriving at Jamaicarsquos main international airport which reopened late on Wednesday bringing in water food and other essential supplies news agency AP reportedldquoThe devastation is enormousrdquo said Jamaican Minister for Transport Daryl VazSome residents expressed uncertainty about their futureldquoI am now homeless but I have to be hopeful because I have liferdquo said Sheryl Smith whose house lost its roof in the stormAuthorities confirmed at least four deaths in southwest Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness reported that up to 90 per cent of roofs in the coastal town of Black River were destroyedldquoBlack River is what you would describe as ground zerordquo he said adding ldquoThe people are still coming to grips with the destructionrdquoMore than 25000 people were still in shelters across western Jamaica and around 77 per cent of the island remained without electricity AP reportedDeath and flooding in HaitiMelissa also triggered devastating flooding in Haiti killing at least 25 people and leaving 18 missing mostly in the countryrsquos southern region AP reportedSteven Guadard from PetitGoacircve said the hurricane wiped out his entire familyldquoI had four children at home a 1monthold baby a 7yearold an 8yearold and another who was about to turn 4rdquo he saidAccording to Haitirsquos Civil Protection Agency at least 20 deaths were reported with 10 children dying in PetitGoacircve alone More than 160 homes were damaged and 80 more completely destroyedOfficials reported that 152 disabled people in southern Haiti were in urgent need of food assistance while over 11600 people remained in sheltersldquoIt is a sad moment for the countryrdquo said Laurent SaintCyr president of Haitirsquos transitional presidential council He warned that the death toll could rise further and said the government was mobilising all available resources to continue rescue efforts and provide emergency aidSlow recovery in CubaIn Cuba recovery operations were also underway as residents began clearing blocked roads and highways with the help of heavy equipment and military personnel who rescued people trapped in isolated areas threatened by landslidesThanks to largescale evacuations of over 735000 people across eastern Cuba by the Civil Defence authorities no fatalities were reported Evacuees were slowly returning to their homesThe historic town of El Cobre in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba home to about 7000 residents and the famous Basilica of Our Lady of Charity mdash the patron saint of Cuba mdash was among the hardest hitldquoWe went through this very badly So much wind so much wind Zinc roofs were torn off and some houses completely collapsed It was a disasterrdquo said Odalys Ojeda a 61yearold retiree standing in her living room under the open skyEven the revered Basilica was damaged ldquoHere at the sanctuary the carpentry stained glass and even the masonry suffered extensive damagerdquo said Father Rogelio Dean Puerta ldquoThe town was also badly affected Many people lost their homes and belongings We need helprdquoIn rural communities around Santiago de Cuba water remained pooled inside vulnerable homes late Wednesday as residents returned from shelters to salvage what they could mdash beds mattresses chairs tables and fans that they had raised off the floor before the storm hitAt a televised Civil Defence meeting chaired by President Miguel DiacuteazCanel officials from affected provinces mdash Santiago Granma Holguiacuten Guantaacutenamo and Las Tunas mdash reported widespread loss of roofs power lines fibre optic cables destroyed roads isolated villages and extensive damage to banana cassava and coffee cropsOfficials noted however that the heavy rainfall had benefited reservoirs and helped relieve a severe drought in eastern Cuba Many communities remained without electricity internet and telephone service due to damaged transformers and downed power linesA historic stormHurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph 295 kph tying records for both wind speed and low pressure in Atlantic hurricane history It struck eastern Cuba early Wednesday as a stillpowerful Category 3 stormBy Thursday a hurricane warning remained in effect for Bermuda while the warning for the central and southeastern Bahamas had been lifted However the US National Hurricane Centre cautioned that additional rainfall of up to 10 inches 254 mm was still possibleAt that time Melissa had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of around 105 mph 169 kph moving northnortheast at 21 mph 33 kph The hurricane was centred about 475 kilometres northeast of the central Bahamas and 974 kilometres southwest of BermudaMelissa was expected to pass near or just west of Bermuda late Thursday and could strengthen slightly before weakening on FridayWith AP inputs